Gay Hotline
During the 1970s it appears at the time there were two hotlines operating for the gay community; the Portland Switchboard and Gay Switch. Little if anything is known about the Portland Switchboard [research is ongoing] but some is known about the other, Gay Switch. Below advertisement is from the March- April 1971 The Fountain newspaper for the “Portland Switchboard” which was located at the Centenary-Wilbur Methodist Church associated with the Ninth Street Exit Coffee House.
Above Right Advertisement for “Gay Switch” is from the June 1971 Vol 1 No. 4 The Fountain newspaper page 3.
Per Gary Haven via email on October 30, 2021: “The hotline was established around 1970 by Don O’Neill who was a psychologist and counselor at David Douglas High School. He worked with youth of all kinds including me when I was still in school. The hotline was in the basement of a church in SE Portland near DDHS [David Douglas High School located at 1001 SE 135th Ave, Portland, OR 97233]. I couldn’t remember the name of it but looked it up online and see that it is now called Savage Memorial Presbyterian Church [located at 1740 SE 139th Ave, Portland, OR 97233]”
Continuning with the email: “I’m not sure if that was the name back then. In fact, right after graduation when my parents were going through a divorce, I wanted to move out and Don and his wife Nancy welcomed me into their home in the Argay Terrace (how appropriate!) neighborhood of Parkrose. He asked me to be a part of the original team that worked the hotline and we had to go through a training and then we volunteered for shifts. Don is still with us at nearly 90 years old and I see him and the family regularly. I’ve included a pic of the church as well as a few fairly recent pictures of Don and myself.”
https://obits.oregonlive.com/us/obituaries/oregon/name/donnelly-o-neill-obituary?id=32161196 [It should be noted that Don passed away Nov. 22, 2021, in his obituary it states, “Throughout his career, he worked as a High School Counselor, school administrator and was the founder of AIM, an alternative High School in the David Douglas School District in Portland. [further in the article] Don and Ann [his wife] also opened their home to a number of foster children over the years including Dennis Harmon and later Gary Haven who became one of Don's closest lifelong friends.”
Jeff Jelineo in an email on October 30, 2021, stated, “The line I called, Gary answered was at a house in Lake Oswego, I think. Jack Spielman might have called that line too that lead him (us) to meet Randy Shields {Shieltz}, but I doubt it unless the hotline operators used the service to get dates. Gary? Fess up.”
Gary did ‘fess up’ per an email on October 30, 2021, ‘And yes, I will have to admit, I did get a few “dates” from working at the hotline.”
How long the Gay Hotline lasted is still being researched.
In May 1972 when Portland’s first Gay Community Center opened at 258 SW Alder there was, in the article [see Below] from The Fountain, “Off the main hall is the Second Foundation office and counseling rooms. This is where all telephone calls are made and received…”
More research is needed, as it is possible that the Sexual Minorities Gay Hotline grew out of the Portland Gay Community Center back in 1972. This hotline was operated by the Counseling Center for Sexual Minorities. Note, as far back as the beginning of the first Portland Gay Community Center, there was a call-in service. See ORGANIZATIONS/Counseling Center for Sexual Minorities
